Folding table



T. H. MUSSELMAN.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION man MAR, 2|, I922- Patented Oct. 10,1922.

3 SHEET SSHEET l.

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T. H. MUSSELMAN.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR- 21.1922- Q Patented Oct 10, 1922. '3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ll -l II II II II LL 1 Wa'tnaww T. H. MUSSELMAN.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2|, 1922.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Uct. id, 1822.,

lddhllil FOLDING TABLE.

' Application area March 21, 1922. SerialNoi 545,512.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MUssnL- Incarrying out my present invention it is my purpose to provide a folding table wherein the supporting members may b folded intothetable" top and the end sec tions folded against the under side of the main section to cover the'supportingmenr bers and present a neat and compact folded structure which may be readily carried about from place to place.

It is also my purposeto provide a folding table wherein the parts may be locked in folded position and wherein by auxiliarly sections the areaof the table top may be increased and the formation of the tabletop changed to suit the exigencies of the user of the table.

My improved folding table will be found particularly useful by paper hangers, al-

though it will be understood that it may be employed for a variety of purposes.

With the above'recited objects in view, and others of alike nature, the invention residesin the construction, combination and arrangements of parts set forth in and fallin within the scope of the appended claims.

n the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my in1'- proved table in open position.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview" through the same, one end section being,

shown inactive.

Figures 3 and 4 are top plan views showing the auxiliary sections in different positions.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view showing the supporting members folded into the table top. Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the table folded.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a detail of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail 1 designates a rectangular frame comprising side bars spaced apart in parallelism and end bar connectingthe side bars. The inmeans of ner edges of the side and end bars are rabbeted as at 2 at the upper edge of the frame and seated in the rabbeted portions is a top member or plate 3 of veneer or other thin material. Fastened to the under surface of the plate 3 are reinforcing-strips 4 appropriately spaced apart. The frame and plate constitute the main section or top of my improved folding table.

Connected to the respective end bars of the main section aresupportingsections each comprising legs 5 5 spaced a'aart in parallelism and connected together by a cross bar 6 arranged, in the present instance, adjacent to the floor ends of the legs and upstanding brace bars 7 connected to the legs and cross bar. At its upper end each supporting member is connected tonne of the end bars of the table topby means of I hinges 8 or other similar connecting devices, and in accordance with my invention the hinged end of one supporting member is connected to its end bar in a plane higher than the hinge connection between the otheu supporting member and end bar, so that when the legs are folded against the under side of the table top and into the frame l, one supporting member will lie close to the table top and the other overlap the first folded supporting member. so as to present a neatly folded and compact arrangement of the parts as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the supporting members lying in parallelism with each other and with the table top.

Hinged as at let or otherwise pivotally connected to the ends of the main section are end sections 9 each. comprising, in the present form of my invention a frame 10 of a width corresponding to that of the main section and of a length substantially equal to one-half of the length of the main section. The upper edges of the side and end bars of the frame 10 are rabbeted at 11, and seated in the rabbeted portion is a plate or top member 12 reinforced by a strip 13.

In order to hold the supporting members in table forming position I employ foldable brace bars 15 that connect the main section with the supporting members, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. These brace bars are arranged in pairs and those of each pair connect with the respective side bars of the frame 1 as at 16 at their upper ends and with the respective legs 5 of the corresponding supporting member at their lower ends, as at 1'7. 'Ihese connections 16 and 1? are permanent pivotal connections.

Each foldable brace bar 15 comprises, in this form of my invention, two sections 18 and 19 having their outer ends pivotally connected with the table top and supporting member respectively and their inner ends overlapping as at 20 and pivotally connected to ea' h other as at 21. The overlapping end of the sect-ion 18 is curved upwardly as at 22 and formed with a lip 23 that engages the upper edge of the companion section 19 as clearly shown in Figure 8, so that movement of the sections 18 and 19 to brace formation will be limited and the sections held in such formation as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawlIl s.

Ihe end sections 9 are also held in table formation by braces 24 each identical in construction to the braces 15 heretofore described. These braces 2 1 are arranged in pairs and those of each pair are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the respec tive side bars of the corresponding end section 9 adjacent to the outer end of said section, while the lower ends of said braces are formed with depressions 25 respectively, as in Figure 8, to detachably engage pins 29 carried by the respective legs 5. For. con venience in folding the table the brace bars 15 connect with the outer edges of the legs 5, while the brace bars 2 1 connect with the inner edges thereof as clearly depicted in Figures 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings.

To fold my improved table the joints formed by the overlapping ends of the brace bars 15 are broken and the legs or supporting members folded into the table top as previously described. The joints formed by the overlapping ends of the brace bars 2 1 are 'now broken and the end sections 9 folded against the under side of the main section to present a suitcase-like appearance as shown in Figure 7.

The main section of the table carries a handle 26' that extends through slots in the side bars of the main section whereby the folded structure may be conveniently carresume ing rod 30 having one end sliding in a keeper 31 carried by the under side of one of the sections 9 and the other end siidable through a slot in one side bar of the section 9. Pivotcd to the under side of the section 9 adjacent to the last named end of the rod 30 is a lever 82 having one end pivotally connected with the rod and the other end pivoted to a sliding bolt 83. he bolt and the end of the rod 30 remote from the bolt cooperate with keepers 3% carried by the respective side bars of the main section. as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, and when engaged with said keepers loci: the parts in folded position.

3535 designate auxiliary sections whose combined lengths equal that of the main and end sections of the table, as shown Figure 3. Each section 35 is equipped with transversely extending bars 36 tha project beyond the side bars on one side of the sections and are suitably spaceo. apart and interchangeably engageable in sockets 37 formed in the side bars of the main a d end sections of the table and sockets formed in the other side bar of the companion sec tion, as shown in Figures 3 and 1.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit or confine myself the precise details of construction herein shown and described,'as modifications and variations may be made within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is

In a folding table a main section comprising a rectangular frame having its inner rrr ' side at the top edges rabbeted, a top member seated in said rabbeted edges and fastened therein, supporting sections hinged to the side bars of said frame respectively, the hinge connection between one supporting section and the corresponding side bar being in a higher plane than the similar connection of the remaining supporting frame so that the supporting sections may be swung into said frame and overlap each other in parallel relation, auxiliary sections, and means whereby said auxiliary sections may be interchangeably connected to each other and to said main and end sections.

In testimony whereof I affix by signature.

T. MUSSELMAN. 

